Thanks to the 79 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players under the age of 25. Stay tuned over the next six weeks as we count down the top 25.
#14 Stanislav Svozil
Voting
14th out of 45 eligible players
Writer Rank: 13th
Reader Rank: 13th
Highest placement: 4th (1 vote)
Most common placement: 12th (9 votes)
2022 Rank: 22nd
Biography
Birthdate: January 17, 2003
Birthplace: Prerov, Czechia
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 181 lbs
Position: D
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2021 3rd round, 69th overall
2022-23 Season
Svozil played a lot of hockey last season. He played 56 games in Regina of the WHL, where he recorded 11 goals and 67 assists in the regular season and 13 points in 7 playoff games. He also captained team Czechia at World Juniors to a silver medal and made both his AHL and NHL debut. Across all leagues and tournaments, Stanislav scored 102 points in 73 games.
2023-24 Outlook
Some of you are sleeping on Svozil. If you were to redraft the 2021 class, he would almost certainly move up into the first round. The jury is still out on that class as a whole, but look at the Columbus draft class from 2021: the most notable players are Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, Corson Ceulemans, Stanislav Svozil, and James Malatesta.
The Czech defenseman will likely start the season in Cleveland, but don’t be surprised if he makes a strong push for that last spot in Columbus. He’s a strong skater, a skilled passer, and a competent defender, giving him legitimate top four upside at the NHL level. If he does spend most of his time in Cleveland, we could see a Svozil-Jiricek pairing, which has the potential to be elite in the AHL.
Highlights
Try watching these highlights without getting excited. I dare you.